Vancouver City Sights on my Rocky Mountaineer Famils

The weather gods were not in our favour when we arrived in Vancouver, but what better way to experience a rain forest than in the rain.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Starting out at Capilano Suspension Bridge we donned our ponchos and headed straight into the forest.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

At the start of the the tour you are introduced to the founder of the Capilano area and the learn about the history of the area. From here you walk through lush forest to the actual suspension bridge, hanging a daunting 70 metres above the Capilano River. The bridge is suspended in air and is a huge 140 metres long. It sure did test out my fear of heights!

Once safely across the other side of bridge, you can walk through the treetop walks. A series of raised platforms takes you through the forest. The recycled wood raised platforms are anchored into trees by a collar that can be moved and expanded when the trees grow. The last experience at Capilano is the cliff walk. This walk hugs the rock face of the Capilano River.

2. Granville Island

From Capilano we headed back into Vancouver to Granville Island. An interesting fact about Granville Island is that it is not an island at all. It is a sandbank that was built up over time. But regardless of its land formation, the Granville Island Market is something that everyone should experience. The freshness of the produce, the quality of handmade gifts and baked goods was beyond imagination. An added bonus to the market appeal was the presence of a craft beer brewery and sake distillery.

After lunch there was a quick tour on the Aquabus, a small ferry taking you along the river from Granville Island down to Telus Science Works then back along to YaleTown. The YaleTown to Gas Town was a quick transition and arrived at Gas Town moments before the steam clock let out its whistle. Talk about perfect timing!

After the steam clock, we went to Vancouver Lookout, to get a 360 degree view of Vancouver from almost 169 metres in the air. The views from the viewing platform allow you to see all of Vancouver plus surrounding cities including Burnaby and Surrey.

3. Fly Over Canada

FlyOver Canada

Located at Canada Place is one of Vancouvers, nay Canadas best new attractions Fly Over Canada. As the name suggests it is sights of Canada from the East Coast to the West seen on a virtual flying experience.

When you enter Fly Over Canada you are privy to a 5 minute motion picture highlighting Canadian landscapes, culture and amazing atmosphere. From here you enter the pre-boarding room where your pilot will take you through a safety video.

Once everyone is cleared for flight you enter the last room and be seated in a pod. Each pod has 8 seats all facing a screen. Once belted in, the fun begins as your pod beings to move forward and the barrier is lowered. Then the lights go out and your 4D Fly Over Canada journey begins.

The amazing thing about Fly Over Canada is your pod will move slightly to the left and right, all other movement is perceptive from the film playing. The film is shot to make you feel like you are moving (rising up above the mountains and then descending once reaching the peak) then flying over the fields in Saskatoon before arriving back into Vancouver.